The aim of this study is to explore the way teachers in pree-school are relating to and working with pre-schoolers in concentration difficulties in the indoor environment. We have chosen to study if pedagogues are working in a way where they are trying to help the children or if they are considering concentration difficulties as existing within the child. In that way we will become aware if the teachers are working in a way where the child are considered as a child in concentration difficulties or as a child with concentration difficulties. The method used in this study is qualitative interviews consisting open ended questions where total of five pedagogues took part. The questions posed in the study are: • How do educators relate to children in concentration difficulties? • What importance does the indoor environment have on children in concentration difficulties? • What importance does society have on pre-school teachers' work on children's ability to concentrate? Bronfrenbrenner´s theory and Malaguzzi´s philosophy will be the root of this study. By this philosophy and theory, the meaning of a pedagogic environment and the child´s background will be seen. This study will lift the meaning of a committed pedagogue who can create a meaningful environment that helps the kid to concentrate. This exploration will also show the need of normalisation of differences and a working way against the norms and valuations of the society. The analysis of the results show that the teachers thinks that an open way to work with children in concentration difficulties is meaningful. In this way the teachers can find a way to help the children by creating environments which works for every child. What the teachers did not think about were that an opened way to work means no expectations on the children. By working without expectations means a working way free from the society’s norms and valuations but that it shows it their work from time to time.

Background and Aims: There is an increasing awareness that, in order to monitor health outcomes both mortality and morbidity need to be assessed. A common metric used to measure morbidity and functional limitation is the quality adjusted life year or QALY, which incorporates time spent in a health condition and Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) into the measure. This is of increasing importance in Low Income Countries (LIC) where programmes have been adopted and implemented to address the high burden of child mortality. The ‘first 1000 days’ is one such initiative which has been adopted by the WHO to improve nutritional support, health care and social support for both the mother and child. One of the aims is to improve quality of life during this vulnerable period. As there is currently no appropriate measure of HRQoL in this age group, we set out to develop a valid and reliable, HRQoL instrument for children from 1 month to 3 years old, amenable to the elicitation of preference weights. Methods: The new HRQoL instrument, HRQoL-6D-IT, was based firstly on a mapping review of HRQoL measures for children. The next stage involved eliciting options through cognitive review from caregivers of very young children regarding HRQoL dimensions included in the EQ-5D-Y an existing validated HRQoL measure for older children. The care-givers were requested to identify items to be considered for inclusion, the wording and layout of the new measure. The item pool generated from the literature reviews and cognitive interviews were then assessed through a Delphi study with experts in the field. These items were further reduced through subsequent testing of items and retesting of a preliminary measure. The final items on the HRQoL-6D-IT included: movement, play, pain, relationships, communication and eating and, apart from pain, the descriptors referenced the behaviour of the child to age appropriate behaviour. The HRQoL-6D-IT was then tested for validity and reliability in a group of acutely-ill (AI), chronically-ill (CI) and typically developing (TD) children in two provinces in South Africa: Western and Eastern Cape. Results: The methodology used to identify candidate items was rigorous and yielded items which were developed to be observable with dimension descriptors referring to ‘age appropriate behaviour’. Caregivers were able to reliably report on HRQoL of their very young children from age 1-36 months. The content validity had been established during the development of the instrument. Concurrent validity of the different items (dimensions) was tested between the HRQoL-6D-IT and relevant items from the ASQ, FLACC and NIPS pain scale and Diet History.

Text in Afrikaans / Hierdie studie handel oor die effek van tuisskoling op tuisleerders, met die fokus op hul sosiale ontwikkeling en akademiese prestasie. Deur middel van 'n literatuurstudie word bevestig dat ouers tuisskoling onderneem, onder andere op grond van ontevredenheid met die verlaging van akademiese standaarde en negatiewe sosialiseringspatrone wat in die staatskole voorkom. Daarteenoor is die kritiek teen tuisskoling gewoonlik ten opsigte van die moontlike benadeling van die tuisleerders wat betref hul akademiese standaard en verminderde en ontoereikende sosialiseringsmoontlikhede. 'n Empiriese studie is onderneem deur fokusgroeponderhoude met tuisskolers te voer en vergelykbare statistiese gegewens in te win deurdat die graad 4-tuisleerders 'n akademiese prestasietoets aflê en die graad 7-tuisleerders 'n verhoudingevraelys invul. Hierdie studie bevestig dat: • tuisleerders, in vergelyking met leerders in staatskole, beter in 'n prestasietoets presteer en dus nie akademies benadeel word nie • tuisleerders se stand van sosialisering goed met dle gestandaardiseerde norm vergelyk. This study deals with the effect of home schooling on the home leamer, focussing on social development and academic achievement. It is validated through a literature study indicating that home schooling is undertaken by parents mostly because of discontent with lowering academic standards and the prevalence of negative socialising patterns in government schools. Criticism levelled against home schooling, normally focuses on the possible disadvantages hereof, with regards to academic achievement and fewer opportunities to socialise. An empirical study is undertaken, by interviewing home schoolers, and gathering comparable statistical data through conducting academic achievement tests with Grade 4 home learners, whilst Grade 7 home learners completed a relationship questionnaire. This study confirms that: • home learners attain better results than learners in government schools in the achievement test and that they are therefore not academically disadvantaged; • the level of socialisation of home learners compares favourably with the standardised norm / This study deals with the effect of home schooling on the home Ieamer, focussing on social development and academic achievement. It is validated through a literature study indicating that home schooling is undertaken by parents mostly because of discontent with lowering academic standards and the prevalence of negative socialising patterns in government schools. Criticism levelled against home schooling, normally focuses on the possible disadvantages hereof, with regards to academic achievement and fewer opportunities to socialise. An empirical study is undertaken, by interviewing home schoolers, and gathering comparable statisticaldata through conducting academic achievement tests with Grade 4 home learners, whilst Grade 7 home learners completed a relationship questionnaire. This study confirms that: • home learners attain better results than learners in government schools in the achievement test and that they are therefore not academically disadvantaged; • the level of socialisation of home learners compares favourably with the standardised norm. / Psychology of Education / M. Ed. (Voorligting)

Text in Afrikaans / Hierdie studie handel oor die effek van tuisskoling op tuisleerders, met die fokus op hul sosiale ontwikkeling en akademiese prestasie. Deur middel van 'n literatuurstudie word bevestig dat ouers tuisskoling onderneem, onder andere op grond van ontevredenheid met die verlaging van akademiese standaarde en negatiewe sosialiseringspatrone wat in die staatskole voorkom. Daarteenoor is die kritiek teen tuisskoling gewoonlik ten opsigte van die moontlike benadeling van die tuisleerders wat betref hul akademiese standaard en verminderde en ontoereikende sosialiseringsmoontlikhede. 'n Empiriese studie is onderneem deur fokusgroeponderhoude met tuisskolers te voer en vergelykbare statistiese gegewens in te win deurdat die graad 4-tuisleerders 'n akademiese prestasietoets aflê en die graad 7-tuisleerders 'n verhoudingevraelys invul. Hierdie studie bevestig dat: • tuisleerders, in vergelyking met leerders in staatskole, beter in 'n prestasietoets presteer en dus nie akademies benadeel word nie • tuisleerders se stand van sosialisering goed met dle gestandaardiseerde norm vergelyk. This study deals with the effect of home schooling on the home leamer, focussing on social development and academic achievement. It is validated through a literature study indicating that home schooling is undertaken by parents mostly because of discontent with lowering academic standards and the prevalence of negative socialising patterns in government schools. Criticism levelled against home schooling, normally focuses on the possible disadvantages hereof, with regards to academic achievement and fewer opportunities to socialise. An empirical study is undertaken, by interviewing home schoolers, and gathering comparable statistical data through conducting academic achievement tests with Grade 4 home learners, whilst Grade 7 home learners completed a relationship questionnaire. This study confirms that: • home learners attain better results than learners in government schools in the achievement test and that they are therefore not academically disadvantaged; • the level of socialisation of home learners compares favourably with the standardised norm / This study deals with the effect of home schooling on the home Ieamer, focussing on social development and academic achievement. It is validated through a literature study indicating that home schooling is undertaken by parents mostly because of discontent with lowering academic standards and the prevalence of negative socialising patterns in government schools. Criticism levelled against home schooling, normally focuses on the possible disadvantages hereof, with regards to academic achievement and fewer opportunities to socialise. An empirical study is undertaken, by interviewing home schoolers, and gathering comparable statisticaldata through conducting academic achievement tests with Grade 4 home learners, whilst Grade 7 home learners completed a relationship questionnaire. This study confirms that: • home learners attain better results than learners in government schools in the achievement test and that they are therefore not academically disadvantaged; • the level of socialisation of home learners compares favourably with the standardised norm. / Psychology of Education / M. Ed. (Voorligting)

Text in Afrikaans / The researcher is qualified as a pre-school teacher and experiences that pre-schoolers behave negatively at times. The researcher was exposed to playtherapy techniques in post-graduate studies . These techniques could be used by pre-school teachers to handle negative behavior. The question arises if pre-school teachers are already applying these techniques . This question is researched in this study by using research questionnaires . The study was done in and Tshwane. The dissertation consists of five chapters. In the first chapter the research proposal is discussed. The second chapter covers terms like play and playtherapy with reference to the pre-schooler . Chapter three looks at the pre-schooler, pre-school education and negative behavior. In chapter four the results of the research are presented and discussed. In the last chapter, chapter five, conclusions, recommendations, a general conclusion and a closing remark are made. / Social Work / M. Diac. (Play Theraphy)

Text in Afrikaans / The researcher is qualified as a pre-school teacher and experiences that pre-schoolers behave negatively at times. The researcher was exposed to playtherapy techniques in post-graduate studies . These techniques could be used by pre-school teachers to handle negative behavior. The question arises if pre-school teachers are already applying these techniques . This question is researched in this study by using research questionnaires . The study was done in and Tshwane. The dissertation consists of five chapters. In the first chapter the research proposal is discussed. The second chapter covers terms like play and playtherapy with reference to the pre-schooler . Chapter three looks at the pre-schooler, pre-school education and negative behavior. In chapter four the results of the research are presented and discussed. In the last chapter, chapter five, conclusions, recommendations, a general conclusion and a closing remark are made. / Social Work / M. Diac. (Play Theraphy)

DIPLOMA THESIS SUMMARY This thesis is aimed at reciprocal relationships between parents, the state and the nursery school. The key focal point of this research is a pre-school child and his needs as these are what the aforementioned institutions mainly concern themselves with. The theoretical part scrutinises the institutions. It explains their functions and examines their mutual relationships with the pre-schooler's needs in view. It characterizes the contemporary family and their current expectations. The diploma deals with provision of pre-school education by, the state as well as establishement and financing of nursery schools. It outlines historical development of the nursery school as an institution and reviews characteristics of a pre-school child. It also looks at various need assessment frameworks. The empirical part of the thesis is based on various hypotheses, some of which were aimed at awareness and review of the pre-school child's needs from the point of view of the teachers and the parents and some which were focused on satisfying the needs by the nursery school with respect to the child's individuality. The thesis discusses whether the regulations around pre-school education are in compliance with the needs of the children comparing obtained analytical data with the current situation in...

The thesis deals with the problematics of interactive books and their influence on the education of preschool children, which is in the Czech Republic still one of the unexplored areas. The aim of the thesis is to compare the paper books with the interactive books in terms of their impact on the child's learning and to see if interactivity influences the better memorization of information than interaction with the kindergarten teacher and also if the children are able to work with the interactive book. There are two hypotheses H1: A child of pre-school age working with an interactive book can remember less information than a child listening to a narrative from a classical book, and H2: A pre-school child who working with an interactive book will remember better the visual rendering of the content. The examined group was composed of preschool children from two differently different kindergartens. For the research, the method of participated target group observation was used when working with interactive books, supplemented by interviews with nursery teachers who participated in the research. The development of the pre-school child's cognitive functions and the development of its interaction with the technologies is briefly described in the theoretical part one. The technologies and their role in the...

Text in Afrikaans / The researchers' own interaction with the community caused her to recognize that the safety of pre-schoolers and toddlers in high risk areas are being jeopardised because sexual education is not applied soon enough. The aim of this research study was to determine the needs of role-players in the high risk area in terms of community education regarding the safety of pre-schoolers. A quantitative approach was followed, which focussed on applied research and the exploratory and descriptive objectives of the research in order to facilitate a better understanding of the research phenomenon and to understand the specifics of the situation. The Randomised Cross-sectional Survey design was implemented. The analysed findings were presented graphically and interpreted in order to reach conclusions and present the recommendations of the study. The general conclusion based upon the empirical findings of the study is that there is a great need for community education regarding the safety of pre-schoolers in the high-risk area, Danville. / Social Work / M. Diac. (Play Therapy)

Text in Afrikaans / The researchers' own interaction with the community caused her to recognize that the safety of pre-schoolers and toddlers in high risk areas are being jeopardised because sexual education is not applied soon enough. The aim of this research study was to determine the needs of role-players in the high risk area in terms of community education regarding the safety of pre-schoolers. A quantitative approach was followed, which focussed on applied research and the exploratory and descriptive objectives of the research in order to facilitate a better understanding of the research phenomenon and to understand the specifics of the situation. The Randomised Cross-sectional Survey design was implemented. The analysed findings were presented graphically and interpreted in order to reach conclusions and present the recommendations of the study. The general conclusion based upon the empirical findings of the study is that there is a great need for community education regarding the safety of pre-schoolers in the high-risk area, Danville. / Social Work / M. Diac. (Play Therapy)